Advancements

The compressed natural gas (CNG) sector has seen no shortage of supporters, with continuing interest in new fleet orders, technology advancements in fuel tank design and governmental/utility initiatives, as witnessed at the recent Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Washington, DC.

In one of the biggest natural gas vehicle (NGV) advancements to date, United Parcel Service (UPS) last week said it plans to further transform its nationwide transit fleet by purchasing 700 more liquefied natural gas (LNG) vehicles and spending $18 million to build four LNG fueling stations in Tennessee and Texas by the end of 2014.

While liquefied natural gas (LNG) has been a bit of a road hog lately, the advancements for compressed natural gas (CNG) keep coming too, albeit a little more quietly.

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy on Tuesday inked an agreement at the LNG 17 conference in Houston to work together — and with potential investors — to dig down and study unconventional energy resources in Alaska’s Arctic.

Addressing opposite ends of the value chain in natural gas transportation, Cummins Inc. and separately, GP Strategies Corp. on Wednesday announced advancements in natural gas vehicle (NGV) engines and fueling infrastructure.

A two-year-old study that detailed the potential of unconventional natural gas supplies already needs to be updated because remarkable advancements in drilling technology are driving recoverable gas reserves ever higher, a Navigant Consulting Inc. director said last week.

Contrary to the Obama administration’s pledge to support new energy technology advancements, the Department of Energy (DOE) in late July sent out letters rejecting a majority of the proposals for federal funding in this area.